The Pause That Refreshes: Italian Kitchen

Okay, so let’s say you didn’t make it to Gstaad this winter. Dude, that sucks, because everyone else in your newsfeed managed to get away and ski. Of course, there are also some folks that snuck away to the Caribbean, and a few that even went to the South Pacific, while you were stuck in New York, just hating your life.

But there is a little something that you can do for yourself, and it only costs $19.99. Take a break from your desk and slip into Ardsley’s cozy Italian Kitchen for its three-course, prix fixe lunch. Folks, let me tell you, it’ll give you a brand-new outlook on life. Here’s the deal: Your double sawbuck gets you a soup or salad, pasta or sandwich, plus a selection of sorbets and ice creams. Oh, and let me just say, this is Chef Shea Gallante that we’re talking about. Take a look at what we caught a couple of weeks ago.

On the left, you see a killer stracciatella soup that tasted like a hundred chickens died for it—and maybe a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano was sacrificed, too. It was rich and soulful, with the homey resonance of the cheese. We ate every last drop—which was silly, as there were another two courses coming. On the right, you’ll see what my lunch partner ordered: a rib-sticking white bean soup with delightful crunchy croutons and a lashing of basil oil.

Do we even have to say it? Look at that porchetta sandwich on the left. Inside, all sorts of paper-thin-sliced roasted pork that was countered with crunchy, lightly pickled radicchio and spicy aioli. The bread crackled, the pork sang—folks, we were having a lovely time. And then my partner’s orecchiette was also doing its thing with delicious little pasta cups of tomato sauce with smoked sweet sausage and Tuscan kale.

To end, we sat with coffee and three scoops of gelati: one white scoop was miraculously potent with coffee flavor, another scoop was studded with vanilla beans, and a third bore the tang of ricotta cheese. It was heaven in an hour, all for 20 bucks. You couldn’t get a pedicure for that!

Hot Dates

Local Restaurant Weeks Abound! Support your local team with these two great restaurant weeks.Downtown Peekskill Restaurant Week
February 25 - March 3
Wanna support Peekskill? And do it while drinking, eating, and having a great time? Look for perennial favorites Birdsall House and Gleason’s, plus Division Street Grill, The Quiet Man Public House, and Ruben’s Mexican Cafe to offer deeply discounted meals during Downtown Peekskill Restaurant Week. For more info on discounts and availability, check the Downtown Peekskill Restaurant Week’s site.

Eating Greenwich & Port Chester
March 3 - March 7
For more details, visit the New England Culinary Group, but, from a glance, this one looks like a doozy. Not only are Tarry Lodge, Arrosto, Coals, and Lolita’s Cocina participating, but there are several more from across the border. From the site: “Unlike your typical ‘restaurant week’ that attracts both avid restaurant goers and dining introverts alike, Eating Greenwich & Port Chester will not only include prix-fixe menus, it will also include an array of delicious and fun offers from participating restaurants such as Family Style Dining, Lunch Buffets, Early-Bird Dining, and even Take-Out incentives.
Prix Fixe amounts are set at:
Mid-range: Lunch $12.13 Dinner $20.13
High-end: Lunch $18.13 Dinner $30.13
In addition to the weeklong event, a special feature of Eating Greenwich & Port Chester is the bounce-back incentive, KEEP EATING. Customers who dine at any participating restaurant during Eating Greenwich & Port Chester week will receive a 20 % Off Gift Certificate which can be used at any participating Eating Greenwich & Port Chester restaurant from March 10 - 27, 2013 (valid Sunday -Wednesday only).”

HotPlate

Burrata with Broccoli Pesto and Sweet Onion Marmalata at Italian Kitchen
Oh, folks—if you want to really indulge, fork over a mere $11 for this juicy, bouncy ode to the homely water buff. We’re talking milky, creamy dairy with just a touch of delicious tang; it arrives with a salty, mild garnish of broccoli pesto and a sweet/spicy onion marmalata. This is exactly what you’re looking for when you pick up that grilled bread. Mmm.